Fingers of Leaf
Title: Fingers of Leaf
Author: Soujin
Characters/Pairings: Peredur, Heliabel, implied Heliabel/Galahad, Peredur/Her.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Copyright has presumably expired.
Summary: Five sins Sir Percivale committed.
Archive: Yes.
Notes/Warnings: Written for snowyofthenight.
1.
When the knights came to the forest, he ran behind them, fleet on his feet worn hard by walking barefoot all his life; he carried his spear over his shoulder. His red hair was like the turned leaves on the trees. Heli had taught him to walk silent as any other wood-thing, and he sat on the edge of their camp and listened to them talk for a long time before he showed himself and asked them whether they were angels.
When they said they were knights, he nodded and listened and asked how to be one, and they laughing told him to go to Camelot. They moved on, and he watched them go, went to the edge of the woods with them, and stood there looking after them, with the tallest one's jewelled knife hidden in his deerskin pocket. All the stones in the stream had never shone as brightly as the sapphires did.
2.
The day he fought the Red Knight, Peredur closed his eyes and remembered Heliabel reciting the catechism to him. He remembered her telling him the commandments, every morning, while they were starting breakfast together. Their mother was middle-aged--almost thirty--and they were younger and more lithe and did most of the work, while she taught them the important things, like sewing their own clothes and how to cook and wash proper--all of which Heliabel could have taught him, but he liked to hear it from his mother. Heliabel had learned him how to fish and hunt and learn the holy things, and she made sure he got it right.
Thou shalt not kill, he thought, and thought of her and his mother, and thought of the shining knight in front of him, and closed his eyes and threw his spear, little forest-wild David before a Goliath who wasn't much taller.
3.
"Sir, my lady," he said, looking at the two of them where they stood, more upset than embarrassed. "Sir, it weren't the lady's fault. I took her ring. I didn't know better, I was bein' an idiot, and it ain't anything to do with her."
"She was unfaithful," the lord said.
"No, she weren't. She didn't even know what was happenin' until it was over. I took it 'cause it was pretty and I thought it was okay. Weren't nothin' goin' on with us, nothin' you can say she wasn't bein' true about, just me thinkin' I could take whatever I wanted 'cause I didn't know much."
The lady looked at him shyly, and Peredur rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand, but still tried to look serious and not like he hadn't slept all last night and hadn't eaten a lot longer than that.
"Sir," she said softly, "You are kind."
"No, I'm tellin' the truth."
"Harlot." The lord glared sideways at her.
Peredur kicked him in the calf, at the place that makes legs buckle, and tucked his lip in a grimace when he stood over him. "Don't go callin' her that. There's no reason. I'm tellin' you what happened, and it's the truth, and I don't expect you to believe any different, understand? 'Cause she's been a lot better than I would have been, following you around all this time tryin' to explain, when she didn't do anything wrong. Okay? Tell her you're sorry, and if she don't love you she don't have to follow you no more."
"I won't accept her word, or yours. A whoreson and a jade."
Peredur kicked him again.
Later he hid in the nearest town's chapel, making himself as little and secret as he could, and prayed fearful until he fell silent against Jesus' feet that it was only the lack of sleep or the lack of food, and not something vicious in him that had before lain hidden.
4.
Heliabel leaned into the cave and poked him awake, teasing his hair gently. "Hey, you."
"What?" Peredur wrinkled his nose and unfolded himself from Galahad's side.
"You got a secret, don't you?"
"I don't!"
"You gonna tell me?"
"I don't got one!"
"Goose."
"I love Galahad."
"Goooose. I knew that one already," she said, kissing his cheek. "Me too."
"I'm glad."
"Me too. I'm pickin' nuts for breakfast. Go back to sleep, silly."
"Sure," he said, grinning at her, and nestled back down. He'd known he was telling a lie even then, but they had never had secrets from each other before. It was easier to make something up, especially something that was almost true.
5.
Even later, even when the wound was fresh, and after it turned into a white, old, sickle-shaped scar, he never repented that he had loved a witch.
Author: Soujin
Characters/Pairings: Peredur, Heliabel, implied Heliabel/Galahad, Peredur/Her.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Copyright has presumably expired.
Summary: Five sins Sir Percivale committed.
Archive: Yes.
Notes/Warnings: Written for snowyofthenight.
1.
When the knights came to the forest, he ran behind them, fleet on his feet worn hard by walking barefoot all his life; he carried his spear over his shoulder. His red hair was like the turned leaves on the trees. Heli had taught him to walk silent as any other wood-thing, and he sat on the edge of their camp and listened to them talk for a long time before he showed himself and asked them whether they were angels.
When they said they were knights, he nodded and listened and asked how to be one, and they laughing told him to go to Camelot. They moved on, and he watched them go, went to the edge of the woods with them, and stood there looking after them, with the tallest one's jewelled knife hidden in his deerskin pocket. All the stones in the stream had never shone as brightly as the sapphires did.
2.
The day he fought the Red Knight, Peredur closed his eyes and remembered Heliabel reciting the catechism to him. He remembered her telling him the commandments, every morning, while they were starting breakfast together. Their mother was middle-aged--almost thirty--and they were younger and more lithe and did most of the work, while she taught them the important things, like sewing their own clothes and how to cook and wash proper--all of which Heliabel could have taught him, but he liked to hear it from his mother. Heliabel had learned him how to fish and hunt and learn the holy things, and she made sure he got it right.
Thou shalt not kill, he thought, and thought of her and his mother, and thought of the shining knight in front of him, and closed his eyes and threw his spear, little forest-wild David before a Goliath who wasn't much taller.
3.
"Sir, my lady," he said, looking at the two of them where they stood, more upset than embarrassed. "Sir, it weren't the lady's fault. I took her ring. I didn't know better, I was bein' an idiot, and it ain't anything to do with her."
"She was unfaithful," the lord said.
"No, she weren't. She didn't even know what was happenin' until it was over. I took it 'cause it was pretty and I thought it was okay. Weren't nothin' goin' on with us, nothin' you can say she wasn't bein' true about, just me thinkin' I could take whatever I wanted 'cause I didn't know much."
The lady looked at him shyly, and Peredur rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand, but still tried to look serious and not like he hadn't slept all last night and hadn't eaten a lot longer than that.
"Sir," she said softly, "You are kind."
"No, I'm tellin' the truth."
"Harlot." The lord glared sideways at her.
Peredur kicked him in the calf, at the place that makes legs buckle, and tucked his lip in a grimace when he stood over him. "Don't go callin' her that. There's no reason. I'm tellin' you what happened, and it's the truth, and I don't expect you to believe any different, understand? 'Cause she's been a lot better than I would have been, following you around all this time tryin' to explain, when she didn't do anything wrong. Okay? Tell her you're sorry, and if she don't love you she don't have to follow you no more."
"I won't accept her word, or yours. A whoreson and a jade."
Peredur kicked him again.
Later he hid in the nearest town's chapel, making himself as little and secret as he could, and prayed fearful until he fell silent against Jesus' feet that it was only the lack of sleep or the lack of food, and not something vicious in him that had before lain hidden.
4.
Heliabel leaned into the cave and poked him awake, teasing his hair gently. "Hey, you."
"What?" Peredur wrinkled his nose and unfolded himself from Galahad's side.
"You got a secret, don't you?"
"I don't!"
"You gonna tell me?"
"I don't got one!"
"Goose."
"I love Galahad."
"Goooose. I knew that one already," she said, kissing his cheek. "Me too."
"I'm glad."
"Me too. I'm pickin' nuts for breakfast. Go back to sleep, silly."
"Sure," he said, grinning at her, and nestled back down. He'd known he was telling a lie even then, but they had never had secrets from each other before. It was easier to make something up, especially something that was almost true.
5.
Even later, even when the wound was fresh, and after it turned into a white, old, sickle-shaped scar, he never repented that he had loved a witch.